Flare Street Blog

pamela des barres

May 09, 2017 09:25

We posted this image of Miss Pamela and the GTO's over the weekend and have had so many questions! Flare-lovers worldwide asking 'who's Miss Pamela' and how she ties into Flare Street (besides of her goddess-like style).So we thought we'd start a regular 'Babe's Who Inspire Us' blog and delve straight into it with Miss Pamela Des Barres!

"I was floating around in the Garden of Eden, thrilled to be a human being at the Human-Be-In, knowing the world could be saved if we loved one another. I was draped in flowers, bestowed upon me by my brothers and sisters. I was laughing, loving, breathing Princess of Peace..." Pamela Des Barres.

Best known as the free-spirited, head of the groupies based along the LA strip in the late 60's. Through her 5 books ( I'm With The Band: Confessions of A Groupie is our favourite) she tells her story - from the dudes and their rock n roll bands, pioneering free-love to The GTO's. Frank Zappa started and produced a 7 piece, all girl-groupie band called The GTO's -Girl's Together Outrageously - pictured above. A band made up of groupie-girls but also symbolising the camaraderie and solidarity between women.

If you're wondering why she seems familiar, it might be because Penny Lane from Almost Famous was based on her - her style, fashion and mannerisms.

One of the things that really struck me about 'I'm with the Band' is its sincere sense of excitement. You really seemed to be enjoying your life and on this giddy, very girlish physical, and emotional thrill ride.

A lot of people try to darken the 60s and early 70s, and my story is very light. Of course there's heartbreak, but I'm very blessed with an optimistic nature. I would bounce back and get my heart broken again and bounce back and get it broken again. The fact is that we all get our heart broken, I just got mine broken my Jimmy Page. Everybody goes through it, and I think that's also what people related to the humanity that I was putting on the page. The reality of being a young woman growing up in Hollywood in the thick of the madness.

Do you think you'll be remembered as a feminist?

I think I'll be remembered as a sexual pioneer in a way, someone who wasn't afraid to have sex, go after what she wanted including men, and write about it.

What does "groupie" mean to you?

To me and to everyone else it should just mean sharing love. That's all it's about, and love of music first of all, but of course it's become a much broader term now. You can be a groupie for anything. It started out with "group." You were after the group; you wanted to be with the group. You wanted to share ideas and yourself and interact with the group.